5 Day trip to the Gila Wilderness

I responded to an ad in the newspaper looking for Elk hunting guides.  I told the guy I have never done that but was trainable.  I also told him I could cook.  So he hired me to cook for a group of 12 guests who were packing into the wilderness on horses and mules and then during the day when the guests were riding the trails two master guides would take me out and scout for elk.  I told Jim, the owner, that I had never ridden a horse before.  He said no problem.  So for the whole 5 days I rode a mule named Leroy.  What a time.  There were 4 experienced guides who taught me basic horsemanship, or should I say mulemanship.  They taught me best they could, the wilderness in 4 days.  And they taught me where to go for the elk.  The terrain was rugged to say the least.  The mountains that the mule climbed with me on top were staggering.  The country is absolutely spectacular.

The ranch of UTrail.  

Loco Mountain Trailhead

Camp

My kitchen

Most of the horses and mules ran free while we were in camp because we were in a boxed in canyon.  The lead line kept then while they ate and they saddled up.

Loading an elk antler she on the horse.  First one of many during the day

Looking towards our camp from the guides camp

Antler sheds found during the day.  We also found a dead bear and got the full scull and all four claws.  We found it because the two dogs with us were rolling in the dead bear skin.

Me and Leroy

River crossing the San Francisco River

Steep climbs were a regular occurance.

Aeroplane Mesa

Robert and our antler booty.

Robert found the full head elk and I found the full head mule deer.

My mule deer head that Pam said I can maybe put up inside over the fireplace.  She wants to see it first when I pick it up in a couple of days.